What is AFJROTC?

Air Force Junior Officer Training Corps (AFJROTC) is high school-level leadership and character development program sponsored by the United States Air Force. ​This program focuses on developing leadership skills, integrity, teamwork, and self-discipline while teaching cadets about aerospace science, citizenship, and service to our community. It provides invaluable life skills and prepares students for success in college, future careers, and leadership roles. 
AFJROTC is not a military recruiting program!
Cadets have the opportunity to go on numerous field trips to broaden their horizons and enhance the quality of learning they receive through hands-on experiences. Some of these field trips include:
  • Our yearly Civil Air Patrol (CAP) flights, where cadets can fly a Cessna 172 Skyhawk with a pilot helping them and teaching them the ropes.
  • A ride in a Sikorsky UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter with doors off, and the opportunity to meet several Army National Guard members to discuss the pros and cons of joining the service.
  • Drill Nationals in Daytona Beach, Florida; or an Orienteering regional competition in Lake of the Ozarks State Park. In the 2025-2026 school year, our Drill Team visited Mascoutah, Illinois, for a competition, while the Orienteering Team got to stay at the Lake of the Ozarks!
We have numerous club-like activities called LDRs (Leadership Development Requirements). These after-school activities can instill dedication, discipline, teamwork, and accountability. Some of these activities include:
  • Our Drill, Color Guard, and Saber teams. They go on amazing trips to regional and national competitions where they represent Lafayette High School! Our Color Guard team is responsible for flag ceremonies, which you might remember happening before our football games!
  • Our Orienteering team. gets to learn amazing lessons in navigation and map reading. Sometimes, they'll go on a trip to a competition away from St. Louis, where they get to brave new frontiers (maybe?)!
  • Our Academic Challenge (JLAB) team. in which cadets compete with other teams to decide which school is the smartest around!
  • And many more! If there's something you'd like to see as a cadet-led activity, all you have to do is ask around, and we'll start it moving!
Every day, cadets will either learn about aerospace science—which includes space, aerodynamics, and the science of flight— current events—which help to broaden a cadet's understanding of the world around them—and life skills from our SASI (Senior Aerospace Science Instructor), Colonel Jakcsy.
The Missouri 81st is family. We welcome all new cadets in, and hope that everybody can have an amazing time while they're a member of the unit!

Information from Headquarters AFJROTC

  • Mission
  • Purpose
  • Vision
  • Core Values
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“Develop citizens of character.”
"It is a purpose of the Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps to instill in students in United States secondary educational institutions the values of citizenship, service to the United States (including an introduction to service opportunities in military, national, and public service), and personal responsibility and a sense of accomplishment." (10 USC Sec. 2031)
Air Force Junior ROTC (AFJROTC) will provide a quality citizenship, character, and leadership development program, while fostering enduring partnerships and relationships with high schools, educational institutions, and communities that help meet our citizen development mission.
Integrity First, Service Before Self, Excellence In All We Do.

In Summary

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​The mission of AFJROTC is to "Develop citizens of character dedicated to serving their nation and community." AFJROTC is not an USAF accessions program and cadets are never under any obligation to join the military. AFJROTC is a Title 10 US Code-mandated citizenship training program designed to educate and train high school cadets in citizenship, promote community service, and instill personal responsibility, character, and self-discipline. The program achieves this through classroom education in air and space fundamentals and hands-on learning opportunities in several fun and challenging extra-curricular activities. 
The AFJROTC program is grounded in the Air Force's core values:
“Integrity First, Service Before Self, and Excellence In All We Do.”
The program has 878 AFJROTC units with an additional 14 National Defense Cadet Corps units for a total of 892 units in high schools around the world. There are more than 121,000 high school cadets in the program and over 1,950 retired USAF instructors who lead, mentor, guide and teach our cadets in high schools in the US and around the world. AFJROTC enjoys overwhelming school administration and community support because of the amazing positive impact on cadets, schools, communities, and our nation. In many communities that have no military bases within many miles, the cadets and instructors of AFJROTC are truly “The face of the US Air Force in communities all over the US and the world.”